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Literary Works by Hanif Kureishi and Their Film Adaptations

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Literary Works by Hanif Kureishi and Their Film Adaptations PALACKÝ UNIVERSITY OLOMOUC FACULTY OF ARTS Department of English and American Studies Bc. Adéla Habrnalová Literary Works by Hanif Kureishi and Their Film Adaptations Master Thesis Supervisor: Mgr. Pavlína Flajšarová, Ph.D. Olomouc 2016 Místopřísežně prohlašuji, že jsem diplomovou práci na téma ―Literary Works by Hanif Kureishi and Their Film Adaptations‖ vypracovala samostatně pod odborným dohledem vedoucí diplomové práce a uvedla jsem všechny použité podklady a literaturu. V Olomouci dne 5. 5. 2016 Podpis ……………………… ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS First of all, I would like to thank my supervisor, Mgr. Pavlína Flajšarová, Ph.D. for her guidance, patience, and valuable advice throughout writing this master thesis. I would also like to express gratitude to my family and friends for their support and encouragement during my studies. CONTENTS INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................... 7 1. HANIF KUREISHI’S BIOGRAPHY ............................................................... 9 2. CONCISE HISTORY OF ADAPTATION STUDIES ................................. 14 2.1. Search for Interdisciplinary Dialog ............................................................. 14 3. LINDA HUTCHEON’S THEORY OF ADAPTATION .............................. 20 3.1. The Appeal of Adaptation ........................................................................... 20 3.1.1. Modes of Engagement.......................................................................... 23 3.2. WHAT? (Forms) ......................................................................................... 24 3.3. WHO? WHY? (Adapters) ........................................................................... 26 3.4. HOW? (Audiences) ..................................................................................... 28 3.4.1. Knowing and Unknowing Audiences .................................................. 28 3.4.2. Modes of Engagement Revisited ......................................................... 29 3.4.3. Kinds and Degrees of Immersion ......................................................... 30 3.5. WHERE? WHEN? (Contexts) .................................................................... 30 4. MY BEAUTIFUL LAUNDRETTE ................................................................ 32 4.1. Writing a Screenplay and Writing a Novel ................................................. 32 4.2. The Background and the Origin of the Screenplay and Film ...................... 32 4.3. Plot Overview .............................................................................................. 34 4.4. The Reception of the Film ........................................................................... 34 4.5. Comparison of Selected Aspects and Scenes .............................................. 37 5. THE BUDDHA OF SUBURBIA ..................................................................... 40 5.1. Plot Overview .............................................................................................. 40 5.2. The Background and the Origin of the Novel ............................................. 40 5.3. The Reception of the Novel ......................................................................... 40 5.4. The Background and the Origin of the Film Adaptation ............................. 41 5.5. The Reception of the Film Adaptation ........................................................ 42 5.6. Comparison of Selected Aspects and Scenes .............................................. 43 6. INTIMACY ....................................................................................................... 46 6.1. The Background and the Origin of the Written Works ............................... 46 6.2. The Reception of the Novella ...................................................................... 47 6.3. The Background and the Origin of the Film Adaptation ............................. 50 6.4. The Reception of the Film Adaptation ........................................................ 51 6.5. Comparison of the Plots .............................................................................. 53 6.6. Comparison of Selected Aspects and Scenes .............................................. 54 CONCLUSION ......................................................................................................... 58 RESUMÉ ................................................................................................................... 62 BIBLIOGRAPHY .................................................................................................... 66 ANOTACE ................................................................................................................ 70 ANNOTATION ........................................................................................................ 71 INTRODUCTION The aim of this thesis is to compare selected literary works written by Hanif Kureishi to their film adaptations. The theoretical frame used throughout the thesis is based on Linda Hutcheon‘s theory of adaptation. This methodological frame was thoroughly chosen after research of current trends in adaptation studies. Hutcheon attempts to prove that the adaptations have the same value as the adapted texts. In addition, Hutcheon claims that evaluating adaptations on the premise of fidelity is obsolete and futile. Hutcheon defines three different modes in which texts engage their audience—telling, showing, and interacting. In this thesis, the telling mode of literary works and the showing mode of their film adaptations will be examined and compared. The first chapter is devoted to brief biography of Hanif Kureishi. It is essential to be acquainted with Kureishi‘s life since his works are assumed to be based on autobiographic events. Kureishi‘s works were selected for this thesis for being considered highly controversial. The comparison of selected reviews of both the adapted text and the adaptation will be executed in the last three chapters. The second chapter contains a concise history of adaptation studies and history of search for interdisciplinary dialog. In the past, the fidelity of adaptation to its adapted text was considered to be crucial. Although this approach is rather being relinquished by contemporary researchers in adaptation studies, it still reverberates. This thesis is supported by Linda Hutcheon‘s theory of adaptation which is demonstrated in the third chapter. It deals with the appeal of adaptation, different modes of engagement, forms of adaptations, adapters, audience, and context among other matters. The fourth chapter is dedicated to the analysis of My Beautiful Laundrette. It does not include an adaptation to be more precise. The screenplay written by Hanif Kureishi and film directed by Stephen Frears will be compared. Furthermore, the reception of the film will be demonstrated by presenting excerpts from selected reviews. The fifth chapter deals with the analysis of the novel The Buddha of Suburbia written by Kureishi and its adaptation in the form of television miniseries. It was 7 made for BBC by Kureishi and the director Roger Michell. In addition, excerpts from selected reviews of both the novel and the miniseries will be explored. The sixth chapter is devoted to the last analysis which deals with novella Intimacy and a short story ―Nightlight‖ and film Intimacy loosely based on these literary works. And similarly as in the two previous chapters, excerpts from selected reviews will be analysed. 8 1. HANIF KUREISHI’S BIOGRAPHY The birthplace of Hanif Kureishi is Bromley, a South London suburb. He was born in 1954. ―While he experienced a typical English childhood, Kureishi‘s cultural background was uncommon. Although English, he did not grow up within the Church of England tradition; although Pakistani, he did not grow up within the Muslim tradition.‖1 His subject of study at University of London was Philosophy. Before he became a writer he had to do various jobs such as usher or jack-off-all- trades.2 ―His early plays were produced by London‘s Theatre Upstairs, the Royal Court Theatre, and the Royal Shakespeare Company, and he enjoyed international success with the 1985 screenplay My Beautiful Laundrette, for which he was nominated for an Academy Award. In 1990, his novel, The Buddha of Suburbia, won the Whitbread Book of the Year Award for first novels.‖3 His fiction works have been published on regular basis in recognised periodicals such as the New Yorker, Granta, the London Review of Books and the Atlantic Monthly.4 In 1993, Kureishi‘s twin boys named Sachin and Carlo were born. Their mother is Kureishi‘s former editor at Faber & Faber Tracey Scoffield. They were married but now are divorced. His new relationship with Monique Proudlove started in 1995. Their son named Kier was born in 1998.5 Kureishi‗s mother Audrey is of English origin while his father Rafiushan Kureishi is of Indian/Pakistani origin.6 ―His father Rafiushan was from a relatively affluent Muslim family from Madras and came to Britain in 1947 to read law (most of the family moved to Pakistan after Partition).‖7 Kureishi, . , represents what the opening paragraph of The Buddha famously describes as a ‗new breed‘ of Englishman in a number of different senses. He can be categorised initially as one of the first generation of children of ‗New Commonwealth‘ origins to be born in 1 Kenneth C. Kaleta, Hanif Kureishi: Postcolonial Storyteller (Austin: University of Texas Press, 1998), 18. 2 Bradley Buchanan, Hanif Kureishi (New
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